Cable TV
Den Network reports 11.5% growth in FY-2015 cable subscription revenue; posts loss
BENGALURU: Den Networks Ltd reported that its cable business subscription revenues net off LCO share grew 11.5 per cent to Rs 966 crore in FY-2015 from Rs 866 core in FY-2014. In the current quarter, cable business subscription revenues net off LCO share grew 13 per cent to Rs 252 crore from Rs 223 crore in Q4-2014.
Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore
Including LCO share, Den Networks cable business subscription revenues grew 3.6 per cent to Rs 1093 crore in FY-2015 from Rs 1055 crore in FY-2014. Cable business subscription revenues including LCO share in Q4-2015 declined seven per cent to Rs 265 crore from Rs 285 crore in Q4-2014.
In FY-2015, Den Networks reported loss of Rs 144.01 crore as compared to a profit of Rs 38.40 crore in the previous year. Loss in Q4-2015 was Rs 61.15 crore as compared to a profit of Rs 10.05 crore in the corresponding year ago quarter. Loss in Q3-2015 was slightly higher Rs 62.60 crore
Den Networks says that it added 10 lakh set top boxes (STB) in FY-2015, taking the total STBs deployed to approximately 70 lakh. It says further that its current digital subscriber base in Phase 1 and 2 stood at approximately 51 lakh.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by Den Networks
Den Networks TIO in FY-2015 at Rs 1129.64 crore was 1.2 per cent more than the Rs 1116.69 crore in FY-2014. TIO in Q4-2015 at Rs 270.30 crore was 10.5 per cent lower than the Rs 301.86 crore in Q4-2014, but 0.6 per cent more than the Rs 268.81 crore in Q3-2015.
Total expense (TE) in FY-2015 at Rs 1223.18 crore was 27.2 per cent more than Rs 961.92 crore in FY-2014. TE in Q4-2015 at Rs 323.79 crore was 20.3 per cent more than the Rs 269.18 crore in Q4-2014 and was 2.2 per cent more than the Rs 316.75 crore in Q3-2015.
The company’s content cost in FY-2015 at Rs 454.52 crore was 22.3 per cent more than the Rs 371.73 crore in FY-2014. Content cost in Q4-2014 at Rs 139.13 crore was 38 per cent more than the Rs 100.85 crore in Q4-2014 and 26.4 per cent more than the Rs 110.06 crore in Q3-2015.
Den’s EBIDTA (without considering other income) in FY-2015 at Rs 92.41 crore was much lower than the Rs 302.17 crore in FY-2014. Q4-2015 EBIDTA was negative Rs 5.97 crore in Q4-2015 as compared to an EBIDTA of Rs 73.18 crore in Q4-2014 and EBIDTA of Rs 0.28 crore in the immediate trailing quarter.
Company Speak
Den Networks CEO Pradeep Parameswaran said, “We are laying the foundation of building a powerful consumer franchise in broadband, cable television and television shopping. Significant investments are being made to bring disruptive consumer offerings to the market. We are augmenting our historical strength in cable operations with high quality talent in all functions. Besides focus on internal changes, I am also hopeful of a stronger collaboration with LCOs’ and other industry partners to take steps for successful execution of digitisation process thus supporting the government push towards digital India. Our excitement in the scale of opportunities and our ability to capture it continues to remain strong.”
“We have seen positive results on subscription revenues and collections in Q4 of the current year. The profitability has been impacted because of the new business initiatives of the company including broadband, TV Shop and Football as we build Den Networks for the future,” added Parameswaran.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
